Seedfolks [Paperback]

Paul Fleischman (Author), Judy Pedersen (Illustrator)

Book Description

Release date: December 14, 2004

A vacant lot, rat-infested and filled with garbage, looked like no place for a garden. Especially to a neighborhood of strangers where no one seems to care. Until one day, a young girl clears a small space and digs into the hard-packed soil to plant her precious bean seeds. Suddenly, the soil holds promise: To Curtis, who believes he can win back Lateesha's heart with a harvest of tomatoes; to Virgil's dad, who sees a fortune to be made from growing lettuce; and even to Maricela, sixteen and pregnant, wishing she were dead.

Thirteen very different voices -- old, young, Haitian, Hispanic, tough, haunted, and hopeful -- tell one amazing story about a garden that transforms a neighborhood.

Chosen as a state and citywide read in communities across the country:
Vermont
Racine, WI
Tampa, FL
Newburgh, NY
Boca Raton, FL

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Sometimes, even in the middle of ugliness and neglect, a little bit of beauty will bloom. Award-winning writer Paul Fleischman dazzles us with this truth in Seedfolks--a slim novel that bursts with hope. Wasting not a single word, Fleischman unfolds a story of a blighted neighborhood transformed when a young girl plants a few lima beans in an abandoned lot. Slowly, one by one, neighbors are touched and stirred to action as they see tendrils poke through the dirt. Hispanics, Haitians, Koreans, young, and old begin to turn the littered lot into a garden for the whole community. A gift for hearts of all ages, this gentle, timeless story will delight anyone in need of a sprig of inspiration. --This text refers to the Hardcover edition.

From School Library Journal

Grade 5 Up-Paul Fleischman creates a heartwarming story by weaving together a series of short vignettes about a vacant lot turned community garden. Set in a rundown section of Cleveland, Ohio, Fleischman's Seedfolks (HarperCollins, 1997) are a broad cross-section of ages, ethnic origins, and occupations. What unites all of these characters is the way they are changed by the simple act of growing vegetables or flowers. From the Vietnamese girl seeking a connection with the father who died before she was born. to the elderly wheelchair bound man who reconnects with the world, each character is unique. This audiobook capitalizes on the diversity of the characters by using a large cast of narrators drawn from around the world. Though listeners may find some narrators difficult to understand, the richness of the variety of voices adds authenticity to the recording. Cassettes include chapter listings, and the sound quality is good. Seedfolks is a nice addition to audio collections where Fleischman's work is popular, and worthy of inclusion in libraries serving ethnically diverse communities.
Barbara Wysocki, Cora J. Belden Library. Rocky Hill, CT
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to the Audio Cassette edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 70 pages
• Publisher: HarperTrophy (December 14, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0590511904
• ISBN-13: 978-0590511902
• ASIN: 0064472078
• Product Dimensions: 6.8 x 4.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (145 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,428 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #20 in Books > Teens > Literature & Fiction

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

31 of 35 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars A moving story of urban life November 24, 2001

By Michael J. Mazza HALL OF FAME

Format:Hardcover

Paul Fleischman's novel "Seedfolks" is only 69 pages long, but the author packs a lot of emotional power into this story. "Seedfolks" takes place in a troubled urban neighborhood in Cleveland, Ohio. The story begins when a young Vietnamese-American girl starts a small vegetable garden in a plot of land in a neglected, garbage-filled lot. From this small start, a project begins which transforms the neighborhood.

This is a moving story which presents multi-cultural urban life in both its negative and positive aspects. Each chapter is told in the first person by a different member of the community. Thus, by the end of the book we have heard a great diversity of voices: male and female, of many age groups, and of many different ethnic backgrounds.

I was really impressed with this book, and recommend it to both younger readers and adults. For an interesting companion text to "Seedfolks," try "O Pioneers!", the classic novel by Willa Cather.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Poignant, stunning, absorbing! April 7, 2003

By A Customer

Format:Audio CD

This masterfully cast and rendered audio version of Fleischman's gorgeous vignette-novel features 13 different performers of various ages and ethnicities. The fact that some of the readers are not professional performers gives the voices a ring of authenticity that is often missing from the "act-y" delivery of many audiobook readers (which I often find distancing). You are captivated by the natural, sincere delivery of these performers, who portray characters ranging from a very young Vietnamese girl to a Guatemalan man to an old, feisty Eastern European woman. The performances of the professional actors are so honest and convincing --particularly the Mexican teenager, young African-American man and the cowboy-like school janitor-- that they blend in seamlessly with the other voices. The story unfolds slowly, piece by piece, and by the very first chapter, you'll be hooked-- not only by Fleischman's wonderful writing, but by the musicality and vitality of each character's unique voice. A real treasure and high-quality product for all ages.

17 of 21 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Life is Made More Beautiful by Simple Gestures... January 11, 2002

By Lisa Johannes VINE™ VOICE

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The diversity of the world is represented by the very real and honest characters who live near the vacant, trash-filled lot that soon becomes a mecca of collaboration, peace, and beauty in this novel. There are 13 chapters to this book, each narrated in the first person by a different character who somehow finds some answer to his/her life's needs through the transformation of a simple garden. You will appreciate the honesty of each character, from the son who sees his father become a greedy liar to the man who understands that sometimes we are responsible for our own segregation. You will love seeing the emotional growth in a Korean woman who is recouperating from a life of tragedy, and your heart will be touched by Curtis who is trying to make amends for his past decisions. What is most impressive is that Fleischman is able to tell this delightful tale in such a way that the reader feels as if they're in on a secret--as if we know how the lives of the characters connect in a way that they do not understand themselves. If you like this clever novel, you will also enjoy Paul Fleischman's Whirligig, which has a similar affect on the reader. I recommend this book to young readers (6th grade+) as well as adults.